1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for easily attaching and removing a component such as a seatback of a vehicle such as a motorcycle to and from a vehicle body side.
2. Description of Related Art
There exists a conventional device for attaching and removing a vehicle component to and from the vehicle. Accordingly, the vehicle component, a seatback, is provided to be capable of being attached and removed to and from the vehicle body side.
While it is a practice to use a seatback secured on the vehicle body side in such a case as riding the motorcycle over a long distance for an extended period of time, leaving the seatback secured to the vehicle body side might detract from the overall appearance of the motorcycle because the seatback is of a practical nature.
Therefore, it is a common practice to improve the overall appearance of the motorcycle by removing the seatback in advance from the vehicle body side when it is anticipated that evaluations of third parties may arise on the appearance of the motorcycle as when riding the motorcycle to visit events and shows related to motorcycles. For that reason, a seatback for motorcycles is proposed that can be attached and removed to and from the vehicle body side.
To explain the constitution of the motorcycle more in detail, the vehicle body side is provided with a contacted portion with which the seatback can come into contact, and with a locking device for making a “locking action” to removably attach the seatback to the vehicle body side in the state of the seatback in contact with the contacted portion.
The contacted portion is made as an engage-stop pin erected on the vehicle body side. An engage-stop notch formed in the front end of the front lower part of the seatback removably fits over and is in contact with the engage-stop pin. The seatback may be turned up and down about the engage-stop pin in the state of the engage-stop notch fitting over the engage-stop pin.
The locking device is provided with a locking pin erected on the vehicle body side. On the other hand, a locking notch is formed on the lower end of the lower rear part of the seatback. When the seatback is turned downward about the engage-stop pin, the locking notch fits removably over the locking pin.
The locking device is also provided with a hook pivoted at the rear lower part of the seatback and with a closing member attached to the hook for resiliently closing the opening of a hooking hole of the hook. By turning the hook toward the locking notch, the hooking hole of the hook and the locking pin fitting into the locking notch are made capable of fitting and moving to and from each other. When the locking pin and the hook are fitted together, the closing member resiliently closes the opening of the hooking hole to maintain the fitting. That is to say, the seatback is secured to the vehicle body side in the state of contacting the contacted portion, the engage-stop pin.
To do the work for securing the seatback to the vehicle body side, first the entire seatback is moved forward downward from a position rear above the engage-stop pin to fit the engage-stop notch over the engage-stop pin. While holding the fitted state, the seatback is turned downward about the engage-stop pin. Then, the locking notch fits over the locking pin and, at the same time, the closing member once recedes as pressed with the locking pin. The opening of the hooking hole is opened and the hook fits with the locking pin. When this fitting is completed, the closing member resiliently closes the opening of the hooking hole, and the seatback is secured. Thus, the securing work is finished.
On the other hand, to remove the seatback from the vehicle body side, the closing member is operated to open the hooking hole and to release the fit between the locking pin and the hook. After that, the work may be done in the reverse sequence of the securing work.
Here, the conventional device described above has the following problems.
First, when doing the work for securing the seatback to the vehicle body side, as described above, first the entire seatback must be moved forward downward from a position rear above the engage-stop pin to fit the engage-stop notch over the engage-stop pin and, while holding the fitted state, the seatback must be turned downward about the engage-stop pin. However, such a securing work is complicated. Moreover, this securing work requires turning the seatback in addition to moving it. Because this securing work requires a large working space, the securing work as described above is undesirable for vehicles generally having a small surplus space.
Second, the seatback in use tends to be turned downward about the engage-stop pin with a great external force exerted by the rider. At this time, a great load is applied from the seatback toward the vehicle body through the hook fitting with the locking pin. Because the hook is pivoted on the seatback and does not have great strength, it is not easy to sustain the load exerted from the seatback toward the vehicle body with the vehicle body side.
Third, the hooking device is provided on the outer side of the seatback and easily visible from the outside. Therefore, there is a possibility of detracting from the appearance of the motorcycle.
Fourth, in view of the appearance, improving the appearance of the motorcycle by providing a covering member for covering the hooking device from outside may be conceivable. However, if such were simply done, the covering member would stand in the way of visually recognizing a possibly insufficient state of fit between the locking pin and the hook at the time of the work for securing the seatback to the vehicle body side. Therefore, there would be a risk of the securing work being left unfinished, in an incomplete state.